2-Week Online Workshops start dates:
4-Week Online Workshops meet daily, Monday through Friday, unless otherwise specified in the workshop description. Schedules are as follows:
15-Week Online Workshops start dates:
4-WEEK ONLINE FILM DIRECTING
Tuition: $1,500
This workshop focuses on how a filmmaker writes, preps for and directs a short film while focusing on the fact that good storytelling is never about the technology but rather the story and the acting.
Through a series of online lectures and guided exercises this workshop will cover the tools available to help implement the Director’s vision in the unique narrative structure of the short film they write. Examined in depth this course covers including but is not limited to the necessary elements that make a good scene/story, how a director breaks down the written word into visual shots and creates point of view, getting good performances from the actors and designing a visual strategy for their story.
Students participate in a series of lectures, discussions, and in-class screenings to further hone their understanding of the art and craft of directing. This class has a special focus on pre-production and the elements of visual storytelling. A coherent visual approach to each proposed film should be arrived at by course end.
In addition to the short video exercises produced throughout the first three weeks of the program the student also compiles and submits a Visual Director’s Book that must contain: shooting script, script breakdown, floor plans, shot list, lined script, director's notes and visual references.
Weekly Breakdown/Focus
- Week 1: Visual Literacy/Understanding the Language of Cinema
- Practicum: Mise-en-scene Exercise
- Week 2: Elements of Story & Continuity
- Practicum: Continuity Exercise
- Week 3: Building Character & Creating POV
- Week 4: Putting it all together
- Practicum: Visual Director’s Prepro Book
Film Directing Class Descriptions
Director’s Craft
The core of the Four-Week Program, Director’s Craft introduces students to the fundamentals of directing a film. As directors, students will focus on the essentials of visual storytelling. They will learn concepts to help achieve maximum psychological impact by studying the director’s decisions in camera placement, blocking, staging, and visual image design.
Upon successful completion of this portion of the course, students will be able to create a floor plan, shot list, and shooting schedule. Demonstrate a basic understanding of the components of designing a shot, create and direct the dramatic beats in a script. They will be tasked with applying all of the concepts taught over the course of eight weeks to pre-production, shooting and editing of three individual exercises of increasing complexity. Students will be challenged to think comprehensively about their film projects in terms of the economic realities of low budget student production and the limitations of not having access to crews and sometimes actors.
Director’s Craft is broken down into 5 subclasses: Directors Craft (5 sessions), Screen & Critique (3 sessions), Directing Actors (1 session), Crew Meetings (3 sessions), Sound Design (1 session), Producing for Directors (1 Session) and Production Design (1 session).
Cinematography
This course introduces the students to the principles of photography as applied to the moving image. The fundamental elements of cinematography can be applied to any camera. Those fundamentals include; exposure, lenses, focus, and movement.
In addition to covering cameras this course will also learn fundamental lighting techniques. They learn how to support the mood of the story with lighting choices and they experiment with expressive lighting styles. This includes using nontraditional/professional lighting equipment, learning how to what is available in a safe and creative manner.
Cinematography is broken down into the following subclasses: Image & Style (2 sessions), Understanding the Moving Image (2 sessions), Principles of Lighting (2 sessions) and Guerilla Lighting (1 session) Exterior shooting (1 session) and Screen & Critique (1 sessions).
Editing
This Area of Study presents students with multiple aesthetic approaches to editing video. Students will learn how to apply concepts such as temporal continuity, spatial and emotional continuity, as well as less traditional discontinuous editing techniques to their work. The area of study will also discuss the psychological and emotional effects of editing on the overall story. Additionally, students will learn to operate Adobe Premiere Pro editing software that they will use to edit their own exercises. Classes can be supplemented with individual consultations at the computer.
Editing broken down into 3 subclasses: Theory of Editing (1 session), Working with Premiere Pro (4 sessions) and Sound Design in Premier (1 session).
Screenwriting
The screenwriting portion of the course adheres to the philosophy that good directing cannot occur without a well-written script. The course is designed to build a fundamental understanding of dramatic structure, which is essential to writing an engaging film. Topics such as character arc, story premise, point of view, conflict and writing realistic dialogue are explored.
This class is designed to help students develop concepts and then ultimately scripts for their projects. It focuses on the fundamentals of visual storytelling and provides students with constructive analysis and support as they take a story from initial idea, treatment, and step outline to a rough draft, and finally, a shooting script.
Screenwriting is not broken down into subclasses.
Program Requirements:
- A camera (cell phone camera will suffice)
- Month-long subscription to Adobe Premiere Pro
- Laptop with minimum specs for editing (see table below)
|
Minimum specifications |
Recommended specifications |
| Processor |
Intel® 6thGen or newer CPU |
Intel® 6thGen or newer CPU |
| Operating system |
macOS v10.13 or later |
macOS v10.13 or later |
| macOS v10.13 or later RAM |
8 GB of RAM |
16 GB of RAM for HD media
32 GB for 4K media or higher
|
| GPU |
2 GB of GPU VRAM |
4 GB of GPU VRAM |
| Hard disk space |
8 GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (will not install on a volume that uses a case sensitive file system or on removable flash storage devices).
Additional high-speed drive for media
|
Fast internal SSD for app installation and cache
Additional high-speed drive(s) for media
|
| Monitor resolution |
1280 x 800 |
1920 x 1080 or greater |
| Network storage connection |
1 Gigabit Ethernet (HD only) |
|
4-WEEK ONLINE CINEMATOGRAPHY
Tuition: $1,500
This workshop is focused on understanding the basic principles of cinematography with a combination of online lectures, analysis of the history of cinematography, camera and basic lighting technology and techniques, including an introduction to editing and color correction using Davinci Resolve (free download available).
The students will test what they learn during the online lectures with 3 exercises that are designed to be realized using a digital camera of their own possession, including a cell phone if nothing else is available.
Projects are:
- Composition: As directed during the Production Lab prep class the students will create a series of shots to practice and test the knowledge of composition and the technical elements of cinematography (focus, exposure, color, basic camera movements).
- Continuity: The student will create a small scene, within a space that is safely accessible to them, in which they will use different framing, angles of view and available or self-made light to build the narrative. Could be fictional (ex: a mystery presence in the room) or documentary (ex: a family member/partner baking a cake)
- Montage: For their final film, the students will pick an abstract concept (ex: fear, excitement, love, solitude, etc.) and film images that will describe it visually either on their own or combined with others. The project focuses less on the narrative aspect of filmmaking and more on the capacity of cinematography to deliver a subtext of significance to otherwise unrelated images.
Cinematography Class Descriptions
Cinematographer’s Craft
This class will provide the basic elements of cinematography, including but not limited to the basic principles of Cinematography, an introduction to visual storytelling, an analysis of how shots are used to build a narrative or documentary sequence, the basic elements of Montage and a deeper analysis into painting with lights.
History of Cinematography
History of Cinematography analyzes the evolution of cinematography along the history of cinema, pointing out trends and historically relevant turning points in style (film noir, the introduction of color, etc.). A list of films, easy to find online, will be distributed to the student for watching on their own time.
Camera
This will introduce the basic characteristics in a digital camera and the main settings, common to most digital cameras, using a Sony FS5 as an example. It will also introduce advanced digital cameras, using a Red Dragon as example, to present the differences in quality and structure of modern Digital Cinema Cameras.
Lighting and Grip
Lighting and Grip class will present basic lighting principles and examples via live demonstrations of how to create basic lighting setups and to control the light using flags and other grip elements.
Editing
This class will introduce digital editing capacities of Davinci Resolve, allowing the students to receive a basic editing training, and also will guide the students to understand the basic principles of color correction and post production.
Production Lab
This will guide the students on producing and developing their 3 personal projects within the respect of social distancing and isolation rules. During the online course they will create a Composition, a Mise En Scene and a Montage project, each one of them following a different set of rules and instructions.
Screen and Review
This class provides feedback to the students on their personal projects and analyze their choices and approaches.
4-WEEK ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY
Tuition: $1,500
This Online Photography workshop is constructed to deliver a great deal of content in a short time and is an exceptional opportunity for an intensive education in photography for four weeks. The course will cover Adobe Lightroom classic, camera operations, elements of exposure, the history of photography through 1960, and a deep dive into the creation of personal projects.
Classes: Photo 1, Imaging 1, Vision and Style, History of Photography
Students will need:
- A DSLR camera and lens (any focal length) that has manual controls
- Adobe Lightroom Classic (available for $10 per month)
- Computer
Photography Class Descriptions
Photo I
Photo I is the technical core of the curriculum, encompassing lecture, demonstration, shooting assignments, and critique. Students learn the mechanics of cameras and lenses as well as the components of exposure. Students are taught to be aware of the unique characteristics that light can take: direct, diffused, reflected, and tempered by atmosphere. In this course, students begin to understand the modern digital SLR and analyze digital capture’s pleasures (instant gratification) and pitfalls (generic, competent images). Every technique is practiced through individual
assignments, which are critiqued by faculty and peers.
Emphasis is placed on: developIng practical technical skills at handling modern digital SLR cameras and the ability to produce accurate exposures under a range of real-world conditions, developing a working ability to recognize and create dramatic exposures using natural light, and understanding the practical application of the components of exposure (sensitivity, aperture, shutter speed) under a wide variety of real-world shooting conditions.
Imaging I
This course is an intensive introduction to Adobe Lightroom Classic as a RAW digital editing and image library management system. Once immersed in Adobe Lightroom Classic, students acquire key digital darkroom techniques from nondestructive editing to unparalleled color and tonal control over an image. Students also learn the entire process of digital workflow, from RAW processing through output for advanced editing and web pages. Along with lectures and demonstrations, Imaging I allows for students to practice and perfect their image-editing skills.
Vision and Style
This course teaches students critical thinking skills, the visual language of photography, and pushes them to explore their personal interests in photography as they conceptualize, execute, refine, and critique. Students define and develop a personal, iconic visual style and specific area of interest, studying master bodies of work across many photographic genres. The primary focus is still photography. Students become familiar with principles of composition, color, editing, sequencing, and presentation through writing, journaling, research and photographic assignments. Students gain the level of self-awareness necessary to understand the most important origins of their ideas, and start to conceive how their work fits into the context of current photography practices and attitudes.
History of Photography
Intensive study, analysis, and critique of the work of master photographers, their techniques, aesthetics and approaches helps to equip students to choose the most effective means of realizing their own projects. In this course, the history of photography is studied from its beginning through to 1960. Students are guided to analyze the cultural and societal impact of photography, and the evolution of the medium from the original assumed veracity of photographs to the exploitation of the viewer’s acceptance of the photograph as truth, given the use of modern photographic manipulation with tools such as Photoshop. Additionally, students become intimately familiar with a particular photographer’s body of work through written research projects. Discussion topics include composition, traditional and non-conventional framing, color theory, design, semiotics (signs and symbols), the effect of technological changes on photography, the use and limitations of photography as a documentary and personal record, and the surprisingly long history of using viewer assumptions to distort the truth.
4-WEEK ONLINE FILM AND TV PRODUCING
Tuition: $1,500
This Online Producing workshop gives students a comprehensive overview of the entire producing process. Courses include: Producer's Craft (explores every aspect of Creative Producing), Line Producing (students learn the elements of production management, including budgeting and scheduling), Pitching (an essential producing skill), Entertainment Law, Film Finance, Film Festival Strategies, as well as an introduction to the various crafts of filmmaking including: Screenwriting, Directing, Camera/Lighting, Sound and Editing. Graduates of the program will gain practical and pragmatic skills, tools, and knowledge, enabling them to develop and hone necessary skills for a career in the film and television industry.
Classes: Producer’s Craft, Line Producing (included in tuition is the necessary computer software to take this class: Movie Magic Scheduling and Budgeting), Pitching, Entertainment Law, Story and Screenwriting, Film Finance, TV Industry Overview, Film Festival Strategies, Case Studies, Intro to Editing, Intro to Camera/Lighting, Intro to Sound, Directing for Producers
Film & TV Producing Class Descriptions
Producer's Craft
This class explores every aspect of the Producing process: from identifying ideas through the development of scripts, assembling commercially viable packages, as well as financing, production, marketing, and distribution. Through lecture, discussion of industry developments, handouts and individual research assignments, Producer’s Craft lays the groundwork for a profession as a Creative Producer.
Line Producing
Students learn about the physical aspects of production: scheduling and budgeting, crew descriptions, paperwork and reporting mechanisms (permits, call sheets, production reports), pay rates, working with unions, insurance guidelines, and more. Students are instructed in the use of Movie Magic Scheduling and Budgeting software, widely recognized as the industry standard.
Pitching
An essential producing skill, students learn the appropriate pitching techniques for a variety of meetings and settings. Each student will practice and gain critical and fundamental pitching skills, including writing effective loglines, identifying the audience, and perfecting the pitch.
Entertainment Law
Producers must feel comfortable around contracts, and all of the legal aspects of the producing process. This course is an overview of contract law and how it impacts the entertainment industry. Producing students will study legal issues regarding television, films, recordings, live performances and other aspects of the entertainment industry; including copyright, intellectual property, talent representation, and financing/distribution arrangements.
Story and Screenwriting
Producers play a key role in the development of scripts. Students will gain firsthand knowledge of fundamental screenwriting elements such as: structure, conflict, character, premise, plot, and thematic point of view. They will gain insight into working with writers, story analysis, and overall management of the development process.
Film Finance
This course focuses on successful strategies employed in the finance of studio and independent films. Topics include: equity investment, sales agents, foreign territories, pre–sales, gap financing, production incentives, subsidies and government funds, as well as the revenue waterfall, i.e. how investors get their money back.
TV Industry Overview
An introduction to the way television is developed, produced and sold. Covering diverse topics such the roles of various TV producers, Reality TV, Licensing and Syndication, deficit financing, TV packaging, TV Studios, Pilot season, The Upfront, Nielson ratings, Product integration, the foreign TV market and Old vs. New TV business models, including streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.
Film Festival Strategies
With the proliferation of film festivals around the world, this course will offer an opportunity at a “low cost” option for their submission of their films and a means to develop a film community of their own. Film Festivals are expanding as the technology explodes in the digital universe. Topics include festival selection, social media campaigns, case study of a specific film to examine the process of working the festival circuit, and achieving potential distribution deals.
Case Studies
This course will use specific in-depth examples of an already produced project to introduce students to the specific issues, problems, and solutions of the development, financing, pre-production, production, post production, distribution, and exhibition of studio and independent films.
Film Crafts
Producers must have a fundamental understanding of the various crafts involved in the filmmaking process.
Intro to Camera/Lighting
Students will learn the basic fundamentals of using a camera and lights for film capture utilizing the latest in digital technology. This course will provide the student with enough knowledge to deal with basic production camera and lighting issues.
Intro to Sound
This is an overview of production sound recording: to understand the importance of sound, to learn to record sound in different environments, to learn to assemble and troubleshoot the sound recording equipment.
Intro to Editing
Students will learn the fundamentals of editing using Avid software. This course will provide the student with enough knowledge to deal with simple editorial production issues. Topics include: Introduction to Editing Theory, Avid Interface and Workflow, components of FCP and terminology, how to “log and transfer” HD footage and organize media, introduction to basic editing tools in Avid.
Directing for Producers
The Producer/Director relationship is crucial to the success of any project. This overview of directing will introduce the student to the language of directing and the basic elements of the director’s craft including: working with actors, composition and blocking, shots and shot lists, continuity, text vs. subtext, crew positions, and the budgetary restraints of the creative process.
Additional cost: There will be an additional approx. US$300 cost incurred during the workshop for Movie Magic Scheduling and Movie Magic Budgeting software. During the course, you will be provided with a student discount code to purchase the software directly through the software company's website.
4-WEEK ONLINE DIGITAL EDITING WITH ADOBE PREMIERE PRO
Tuition: $1,500
This Online Digital Editing workshop is designed to serve the needs of students from a wide array of professional, personal, and educational backgrounds. For students contemplating a longer-term education in editing or a career in the industry, it is an excellent introduction to the field. Students will edit various projects over the course, including a montage and two short narrative scenes.
In daily meetings, students are instructed on critical skills such as starting a project, making cuts, post-production workflow, sound design, media management, basic effects, and other advanced concepts.
Editors hold one of the most critical roles in the filmmaking industry. Filmmakers rely on an editor’s storytelling and digital editing skills to shape the narrative of their story in post production and to polish their films. Editors are not solely limited to the film industry; they work in many areas of media, including news, documentaries, television, and web series.
The New York Film Academy’s 4-Week Digital Editing Workshops provide students with instruction in editing theory, techniques and the fundamentals of digital editing. Students not only gain experience by editing various projects but they also learn the art of storytelling. They will master various theoretical concepts of editing and how to practically apply those theories.
Weekly Breakdown/Focus
- Week 1 and 2:
- Premiere Pro/Getting to know the software
- Creating a Montage (Theory)
- How to efficiently log footage, Open a project, Basic Editing
- Audio/Implement audio and perform audio mixing
- Project 1: Montage
- How to correctly export your project with the appropriate settings
- Intermediate Sound/Advanced audio mixing techniques
- Creative Storytelling/Be a better storyteller.
- Intermediate Editing techniques
- Project 2: Basic Narrative Scene
- Screening and Critique, Project 1 and 2.
- Week 3 and 4:
- Introduction to Graphics and Effects
- Color Grading and Correction
- Project 3: Intermediate Narrative Scene
- Photoshop/Intro and Intermediate Photoshop
- Project improvements for an advanced, polished look.
- Screening and Critique, Project 3 and 4
Digital Editing With Adobe Premiere Pro Class Descriptions
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro is used for editing videos, commercials and other film, television, and online video. It is a comprehensive video editing software application. Students will become comfortable or fluent in the software, learn Shortcuts, Audio Mixing, Color Correction, Graphics and Effects, and Export Settings for various platforms.
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is an advanced digital imaging software, used by photographers, designers, web professionals, and video professionals. The app gives you the utmost power and creative control for 2D and 3D image manipulation and compositing, video editing, and image analysis.
Students learn the major functions of Adobe Photoshop and will create usable assets to be imported into Premiere Pro.
Creative storytelling, Be a better storyteller
The key to any great piece of content is a story. Storytelling in your video will help you to engage your audience and achieve the results you want. Stories grab at our hearts. They engage our emotions. They make us feel something for the characters, and allow us to empathize or even imagine ourselves in their place.
Creativity is how you grab your audience's attention. Students will learn throughout the program on how to create engaging content using the editing software as a tool to tell their stories.
Screening and Critique
Students screen their work for instructor and classmate feedback upon completion of each film assignment. Constructive feedback is based on the student’s application of technical and aesthetic principles learned during workshop/lecture hours, and on how well those techniques were used to achieve the student’s goals. All instructors are film, TV and other media professionals and are active in their fields. Their feedback helps students understand what they are doing well and what they could make improvements on. This practice allows students to continually improve and make even more engaging content.
Program Requirements:
- Camera (cell phone will suffice)
- Hard drive. Recommended specs are as follows:
- 7,200 rpm. This is how fast your drive spins, rpm stands for rotations per minute.
- 1tb of space.
- Recommended brands: Lacie or G-Drive
- Another option: SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable external Solid-State Drive (SSD). SSD storage is much faster than its HDD equivalent
- Premiere Pro and Photoshop - NYFA will provide the software during the workshop.
- As of April 1, 2020, Adobe is offering a promotional campaign of $19.99 per month for more than 20 Creative Cloud apps including Premiere Pro and Photoshop with a NYFA student email address.
- Laptop. Recommended spec requirements are as follows:
Windows
|
Minimum specifications |
Recommended specifications |
| Processor |
Intel® 6thGen or newer CPU – or AMD equivalent |
Intel® 7thGen or newer CPU – or AMD equivalent |
| Operating system |
Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit) version 1803 or later |
Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit) version 1809 or later |
| RAM |
8 GB of RAM |
16 GB of RAM for HD media
32 GB for 4K media or higher
|
| GPU |
2 GB of GPU VRAM |
4 GB of GPU VRAM |
| Hard disk space |
8 GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (will not install on a volume that uses a case sensitive file system or on removable flash storage devices).
Additional high-speed drive for media
|
Fast internal SSD for app installation and cache
Additional high-speed drive(s) for media
|
| Monitor resolution |
1280 x 800 |
1920 x 1080 or greater |
| Network storage connection |
1 Gigabit Ethernet (HD only) |
|
| Sound card |
ASIO compatible or Microsoft Windows Driver Model |
ASIO compatible or Microsoft Windows Driver Model |
| Network storage connection |
1 Gigabit Ethernet (HD only) |
10 Gigabit ethernet for 4K shared network workflow |
| Internet |
Internet connection and registration are necessary for required software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services. |
|
macOS
|
Minimum specifications |
Recommended specifications |
| Processor |
Intel® 6thGen or newer CPU |
Intel® 6thGen or newer CPU |
| Operating system |
macOS v10.13 or later |
macOS v10.13 or later |
| macOS v10.13 or later RAM |
8 GB of RAM |
16 GB of RAM for HD media
32 GB for 4K media or higher
|
| GPU |
2 GB of GPU VRAM |
4 GB of GPU VRAM |
| Hard disk space |
8 GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (will not install on a volume that uses a case sensitive file system or on removable flash storage devices).
Additional high-speed drive for media
|
Fast internal SSD for app installation and cache
Additional high-speed drive(s) for media
|
| Monitor resolution |
1280 x 800 |
1920 x 1080 or greater |
4-WEEK ONLINE DIGITAL EDITING WITH AVID MEDIA COMPOSER
Tuition: $1,500
This program is designed to immerse students comprehensively in both the technical craft and the conceptual art of Digital Post Production. Students learn the fundamentals of non-linear editing on their own Avid Media Composer Station.
In addition to giving students a firm grounding in the craft of editing, the course gives students the opportunity to become Avid Certified Users with an Avid Certification test in the final week of the program. The course covers Avid's Media Composer 101 Fundamentals I and Media Composer 110 Fundamentals II, which will give students a strong grounding in all the skills necessary for successful editing in an Avid environment. In addition to learning how to set up projects, input/output media, trim, and create effects, students will be doing additional creative projects throughout the course, including a dialogue scene, a music video. Students will also be introduced to color grading with DaVinci Resolve.
Digital Editing with Avid Media Composer Class Descriptions
Digital Editing Theory and Practice
This course presents students with multiple aesthetic approaches to editing film digitally. Students will learn how to apply concepts such as temporal continuity and spatial continuity, as well as less traditional discontinuous editing techniques to their work. The course will also discuss the psychological and emotional effects of editing on the overall story. Students will learn to operate Avid Media Composer editing software, as well as explore advanced technical elements including sound design, color correction, and multi layered effects. Classes are supplemented with individual consultations through screen sharing.
Da Vinci Resolve
This course will take the student through a series of practical exercises that will teach them how to use the basic tools of Color Correction in Da Vinci Resolve, from primary color correction to secondary color correction, masking, tracking and key-framing to animating the color grade. Students will learn the foundations of contrast and color balance and will understand how to balance, create continuity, and develop styles and looks which bring mood and tone to moving images and the storyline.
Program Requirements
- 500 GB Hard Drive
- Computer with the below specifications:
|
Minimum specifications |
Recommended specifications |
| Processor |
Intel quad-core i7 or Intel Quad Core Xeon (with Turbo boost – 8 virtual CPU cores) – 2.3 Ghz |
Intel quad-core i7 or Intel Quad Core Xeon (with Turbo boost – 8 virtual CPU cores) or Newer, 2.3 Ghz or faster |
| Operating system |
macOS v10.13 or later |
macOS v10.13 or later |
| RAM |
16 GB |
32 GB + |
| GPU |
NVIDIA GeForce family, Intel on chip graphics, ATI Radeon or AMD Radeon Pro; 2 GB of GPU VRAM |
NVIDIA GeForce family, Intel on chip graphics, ATI Radeon or AMD Radeon Pro; 4 GB of GPU VRAM |
| Hard disk space |
8 GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (will not install on a volume that uses a case sensitive file system or on removable flash storage devices).
Additional high-speed drive for media, with at least 25GB available
|
Fast internal 250 GB+ SSD for app installation and cache
Additional high-speed drive(s) for media, with at least 250GB available
|
| Monitor resolution |
1920 x 1080 |
1920 x 1080 or 4K |
| Network storage connection |
1 Gigabit Ethernet (HD only) |
|
15-WEEK ONLINE SCREENWRITING WORKSHOPS
Tuition: $1,870
Our 15-Week Online Screenwriting workshops offer instruction in specific areas of screenwriting, whether it be feature-length film scripts, television, or comic book writing, each of the workshops is structured to deliver intensely focused and challenging lessons to help students improve their skills and develop projects of which they can be proud.
Our 15-week online screenwriting courses can be taken sequentially to follow the natural arc of project development, or taken a la carte to fulfill the exact needs of each student’s current goals.
15-Week Online Screenwriting workshops offered:
|
4-WEEK ONLINE SCREENWRITING - STORY & STRUCTURE
Tuition: $1,500
This Online Screenwriting Workshop will provide students with a hands-on experience on what it means to be a screenwriter in the film industry. Students will learn the basic building blocks of story - structure, character, dialog, and industry-standard formatting. They will use these tools to develop an original idea for a feature film into a detailed outline. The program focuses primarily on the basic tools all writers need to develop their stories. It provides a fundamental knowhow relevant to anyone who wants to write cinematically for the screen.
Students will complete the program with a Short Treatment and Detailed Beat Sheet for a Feature Screenplay, ready to go to pages. Students will have written script pages (practice scenes) for the Elements of Screenwriting portion of the program.
Sessions: One class subject each day, divided into two 1.5 hour sessions with a break in between.
Classes: Elements of Screenwriting, Feature Screenwriting Workshop
Screenwriting - Story & Structure Class Descriptions
Elements of Screenwriting
This class provides the basics on narrative structure, screenplay formatting, and plotting and developing your feature screenplay idea. It also teaches specific skills like dialogue, subtext, exposition, elements of a scene, character arcs, and theme. Students will write practice scenes and discuss storytelling and the basic and in depth tools of feature screenwriting.
Feature Workshop
This class is a workshop, for developing story ideas, and turning them into feature screenplay ideas. Students will bring in multiple ideas, workshop them with classmates under the guidance of their instructor until they pick an idea to plot as a feature screenplay. Then they will plot that idea in detail, figuring out the broad structure before focusing in on the plotting details and eventually generating a treatment and a beat sheet for a ready to write feature screenplay.
Also see our 15-week online screenwriting programs.
4-WEEK ONLINE SCREENWRITING - TELEVISION PILOT
Tuition: $1,500
With over 580 shows currently broadcasting on TV, cable, and streaming services, there’s never been a better time in history to be a television writer. The 4-Week Online Television Writing program will prepare the emerging writer for every phase of TV Storytelling; from developing a concept, building characters, and pitching their ideas to crafting an outline and ultimately writing the teaser and first act of the teleplay (Half-Hour Sitcom or One-Hour Drama).
Topics covered in this course include but are not limited to: anatomy of the sitcom, building the one-hour drama, and the differences between network and cable shows. Students will complete the program with a Character Biography, Five-Minute Pitch, Detailed Outline, Completed Show Bible, and Teaser and First Act of their TV Show.
Sessions: One class subject each day, divided into two 1.5 hour segments with a break in between.
Classes: Feature Writing Workshop, Elements of Dramatic Narrative
Screenwriting - Television Pilot Class Descriptions
TV Class Description
Under the guidance of the instructor, the Television Writing Workshop exposes students to different TV formats and genres and helps them develop the concept and voice of their show. Students will initially pitch three ideas - one of which will be the basis for their original television pilot. Once students choose their main story idea, they will pitch, plot, outline the story and create a show bible. In the last week of the program students will write the teaser and first act of their teleplay.
Elements of Dramatic Narrative For Television
This narrative theory course introduces students to paradigms, processes and tools to help create their teleplay. Specifically, the course exposes students to a variety of television genres as a foundation to build competency when writing either the half hour sit-com or the one hour drama. Students will attend screenings and lectures, complete quizzes, participate in extensive class discussions, and engage in writing exercises to assist in the creation of the story pitch, outline and show bible.
Also see our 15-week online screenwriting programs.
4-WEEK ONLINE ACTING
Tuition: $1,500
This online intensive Acting program will help develop the skills you need to compete in the business of acting. Students will learn how to choose and workshop monologues, explore how to produce their own original material, discover how to break down and prepare a script, watch and discuss great performances from some of the best talent in the industry, and prepare for the business by learning how to self-tape and submit for auditions. This unique experience is a wonderful way to study at New York Film Academy with people from all over the world, with the convenience of an online platform.
Classes: Text in Action, Monologues, Voice and Speech, Audition Technique, New Media, Performance Analysis
Acting Class Descriptions
Text in Action
This course teaches core skills necessary for maintaining the integrity of a performance. Text in Action focuses on the analysis and mapping skills required while shooting out of sequence. Students examine contemporary playwrights and screenwriters, examining plot structure and extracting given circumstances, and learn to utilize these fundamental tools for rehearsal and performance.
Voice and Speech
In this course students will begin to hone a vocal technique that is open, free, flexible, lively, and possessing an extensive and colorful range.
Monologue
In this intensive course, you will learn how to choose a monologue that showcases your individual type, playing to your unique strengths as an actor. You will learn how to shape and craft your monologue by choosing specific objectives, actions, and personalized points of view, to ultimately create a monologue that can be used for auditions and showcases alike.
Audition Technique
This class focuses on the fundamentals of crafting material for on-camera TV and Film auditions, so that you can create unique, compelling auditions that showcase your strengths as an actor. You will also learn what to expect in a professional audition setting, and how to successfully master self tape auditions.
New Media
This course explores burgeoning forms of new media, including web series, as well as creating online media content and sketch production. Students explore what it means to produce their own work with materials that are available to them at low or no cost. The class will culminate in a sharing of self-written and produced short videos.
Performance Analysis
Students will view and participate in discussion of pivotal film performances and develop an appreciation and technical understanding of the methods, choices, and effects of various styles of acting.
4-WEEK ONLINE 3D ANIMATION & VFX
Tuition: $1,500
This online 4-Week Survey of 3D Animation & VFX workshop is designed to deliver a bird’s-eye view of the tools, pipelines, and careers available in 3D animation and VFX. The course will cover basic introductions to modeling, texturing, rigging, lighting, rendering, compositing, and VFX. This survey course offers a window into the magnitude of the industry, giving the student a hands-on perspective of all its possibilities and a glimpse at some emerging technologies.
Additional Costs: Please note there may be some additional costs for software costing upto $165. This will depend on the student’s choice to use either trial versions for free or to purchase software with provided student discounts. Examples of software include Autodesk Maya, V-Ray (or Arnold), Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects (or Nuke), word processing, web design tools, presentation tools.
3D Animation & VFX Class Descriptions
3D Essentials
3D Essentials is the basic training boot camp for the novice to 3D animation. It introduces the student to the entirety of the 3D animation pipeline through a survey of each of the core disciplines. Modeling, Texturing, Rigging, Character Animation, Lighting, and Rendering. By the end of this course students will produce a short 30 second original project from start to using each of the disciplines mimicking a professional pipeline.
Visual Effects Grand Tour
This class does for VFX what 3D Essentials does for Animation. The student will be introduced to the core disciplines of a 3D Visual Effects Pipeline. Including Modeling, Texturing, HDR Lighting, Scene Set-up, Rendering, Compositing (with Render Passes), Tracking, and more. By the end of this course students will produce their own short VFX shot building CG assets on top of existing footage.
Visual Effects (VFX)
Visual Effects is a deeper dive into the core skills that visual effects artists need in their tool kit. Students will learn how to approach a VFX shot and determine what tools are appropriate for what circumstances. These skills include: compositing, tracking (match moving), rotoscoping, chroma keying, keyframing, expressions, renderings, 3D Integration (and effects).
Business of Animation & VFX
This class prepares students for what awaits them in the Animation industry. Students will learn how to prepare and polish professional materials, such as a demo reel, which will be crucial in their introduction to the professional world. Also discussed are the standards and practices of the business of Animation.
4-WEEK ONLINE GAME DESIGN - PLAY MECHANICS
Tuition: $1,500
This course provides a foundation of knowledge for understanding games as playable systems. Students learn the language of Playcentric Design and practice the craft of prototyping, playtesting, and iteration in an environment independent of computers. This is to provide the student hard skills that can be used throughout a career in games – transcendent of changing technologies.
The student will:
- Understand Fundamental Theory – See how any game breaks down into Formal, Dramatic, and Dynamic systems. And learn how the three interrelate.
- Learn Core Development Process – Acquire the skills of prototyping, playtesting, iteration, presentation, and collaboration. These timeless skills can be applied to all game types present and future.
- Practice, Practice, Practice– All students prototype multiple games -on paper regardless of technical skills. All students gain extensive experience critiquing and analyzing games via formal playtests with fellow students.
At the end of the course each student will have a portfolio of playable game prototypes.
Classes include:
- Playcentric Design Principles
- Play Mechanics Hands On Workshop
- Playtesting and Iteration Lab
- Prepping Your Online Game Portfolio
Students must have a computer that is capable of running Unity 3D (free) and Zoom (free for attendees).
Game Design Class Descriptions
Playcentric Design Principles
Students will learn how games work as playable systems including Formal, Dramatic, and Dynamic elements; how to tell stories and bring characters alive in your games; and students will deconstruct famous games using the language of Playcentric Design.
Play Mechanics Hands On Workshop
In this class students will make game prototypes following a tried and true, structured process, and practice creating original mechanics and integrating existing mechanics. Students will also engage in the NYFA Game Canon (e.g. play mechanic case studies you should know as a professional game developer).
Playtesting and Iteration Lab
Students will engage with players and instructors, hands on, to get feedback to improve their games, conduct playtest sessions to get objective, actionable information, and learn best practices for isolating game play problems and generating elegant solutions.
Prepping Your Online Game Portfolio
Students will be guided to take what they have made in this course to properly showcase their talents to the game industry. They will build portfolio pages using proven techniques and learn how to get feedback from industry developers to build a professional network.
4-WEEK MUSICAL THEATRE
Tuition: $1,500
This online Musical Theatre Workshop introduces students to the integral skills required for success in the musical theatre field and teaches them how to prepare themselves for the various demands of a musical theatre career. It is designed for individuals with singing and movement abilities who may or may not have prior experience on a musical theatre stage. Upon completion, students will have gained invaluable knowledge and experience in the art and craft of musical theatre through the convenience of an online platform.
Classes: Acting, Performance Lab, Ballet, Jazz/Theatre Dance, History of Musical Theatre, Voice Studio Lab, Audition Technique, Basic Music Theory
Additional cost: Once weekly one-on-one voice lessons (four total) for an additional US$250.
Musical Theatre Class Descriptions
Acting
This class introduces actor training developed in part by Sanford Meisner, but also includes an eclectic mix of practical techniques from modern sources of training aimed at growing the actor’s listening and responding skills. The class begins with foundational exercises to train the actor's reflexes toward behavioral truth within imaginary circumstances. Once this foundation has been established, the students can apply themselves to scripted text.
Performance Lab
This is a performance-based class that approaches musical theater the same way an actor explores text in a play. During the course, each student will develop necessary skills to thoughtfully investigate material in order to combine organic choices in movement, acting and singing. Students will explore the fundamentals of text analysis and research in order to provide intentions, stakes and conflict for each character in a variety of contrasting musical theater genres.
Ballet
This class provides a highly disciplined and developmentally appropriate sequence of ballet training. In class training focuses upon building strength, flexibility, musicality, and coordination. The class will cover the basics of placement/alignment, turnout, lines of positions, port de bras, quality of movement, class etiquette, ballet terminology.
Jazz/Theatre Dance
This class is designed to teach each student the correct alignment and specific techniques necessary for advancement within this and all dance genres. Class is aimed at increasing strength, flexibility, endurance, and the ability to learn and retain choreography..
Voice Studio Lab
This course provides an introduction to the basic functional skills of vocal production and singing. Topics include: breathing, muscular and air support, diction, the vocal anatomy, tone production, vowel and consonant modification, resonance and vocal health.
History of Musical Theatre
This course provides students with an overview of early and modern theatre; including composers, lyricists, performers, directors, choreographers, and producers.
Audition Technique
The study of musical and non-musical based audition techniques. Included in the class will be a unit of work focused on professional preparation and the business of acting covering topics related to casting, audition prep, headshots and resumes, personal style, awareness of type, and current trends in the profession.
Basic Music Theory
This class teaches students literacy in the written language of music. Actors who have the ability to read music fluently have a much easier time learning songs and can do so without the help of a coach or musical director. Sight singing is the ability to sing what is notated at a glance, any requires the ability to identify intervals immediately and sing them correctly, and in time.
MUSICAL THEATRE “A LA CARTE” ONLINE CLASSES
Music Theory for Singers
With music director and Broadway performer, Kevin David Thomas
- 4 weeks long meeting Tuesday and Thursday
- 12 hours total
- One 1.5-hour class per day
- 2:00 - 3:30pm ET
- $350 (USD)
This course explores with students the written language of music. Sight singing is the ability to sing what is notated at a glance, the equivalent of a "cold read" in scene work. It requires the ability to identify intervals immediately and sing them correctly and in time. Actors who have the ability to read music fluently have a much easier time learning songs and can do so without the help of a coach or musical director. They are also acknowledged in the industry as a valuable commodity. A professional musical theatre actor known to be a good music reader is much more likely to be hired than one who is illiterate. This course will lay the groundwork for a basic understanding of music theory as it applies to musical theatre.
Starting Your Voiceover Career
- 5 weeks long meeting Monday and Wednesday
- 25 hours total
- One 2.5-hour class per day
- 4:00 - 6:30 p.m. ET
- $800 (USD)
- It is recommended you have a usb mic for this class
Step up to the mic and dive into the world of voiceovers. This introductory workshop breaks down what it takes to pursue a career as a voiceover artist. Over the five weeks, students will study different areas of voiceover including commercial, promo and animation, how to take care of your voice, the basics of setting up a home studio, how to create your own voice over demo reel and how to pursue a career in the voice over industry.
Demystifying the Dance Audition
For singers and actors
With PCMT Head Of Dance Michelle Potterf (Chicago on Broadway)and Deidre Goodwin (Chicago Film and Broadway, A Chorus Line)
- 4 weeks long, meeting Monday, Wednesday and Friday
- 18 hours total
- One 1.5-hour class a day
- 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. ET
- $600 (USD)
This course will move at a pace that is comfortable for musical theatre performers who consider themselves a singer/actor first (or who are less confident in the discipline of dance). Dance material will be presented in a style conducive to learning in a supportive environment, from the comfort of your own space. Over the course of 4 weeks, you will follow a structured warm-up, develop flexibility and strength and improve technique. To prepare for dance and movement auditions, you will learn a variety of musical theatre style dance routines and focus on speed of learning, performance, and tips and tricks to ensure you will be ready when you get that callback!
The Online Songwriting Forum
With Composer/Orchestrator and Broadway pianist Daniel Lincoln and guests
- 4 weeks long, meeting Monday, Wednesday and Friday
- 36 hours total
- Two 1.5-hour classes per day
- Noon - 1:30 p.m., and 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. ET
- $1,100 (USD)
The Online Songwriting Forum will provide students with a dynamic multimedia workshop that emphasizes craft, the art of collaboration, rewriting, storytelling, and developing an original voice. Lectures and exercises will explore topics such as melodic construction, song form and structure, chord professions and style. Classes will culminate with writing prompts, real time collaboration, and feedback from a forum of fellow artists who will support your process and celebrate your voice.
The Online Songwriting Forum welcomes both composers and lyricists; the elements and craft of lyric writing will be an integral part of the Forum, and there will be opportunities for collaboration between composers and lyricists within the Forum.
Forum members will complete the program with multiple original songs, as well as professionally prepared sheet music for a song of the student’s choice, transcribed and arranged by an industry professional.
For this workshop students will need:
- A passion for music, and an openness to expanding their creative process
- The ability to perform / record / digitally share their material from their current location.
- Composers and singer/songwriters should be prepared to accompany themselves, or record their compositions in a shareable format.
1-800-611-FILM | 1-212-674-4300 
4-WEEK ONLINE DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING - SOCIAL MEDIA MICRO DOCS
Program dates: May 11 - June 5, 2020 onlyTuition: $1,500
In this workshop, students will learn the art of creating cutting-edge Micro Docs for social media distribution. These 1-5 minute mini-documentaries have become some of the most powerful and popular media available, reaching more people and having a bigger impact than most Hollywood movies. This workshop focuses on how to make Micro Docs using a home computer and a smartphone.
Through a series of lectures, in class screenings, case studies—at least one with guest Micro Docs filmmaker(s)—and hands-on workshops, this course shepherds students through the production and launch of three (3) original 1-5 minute Micro Docs optimized for social media distribution.
Program Requirements:
- Smart Phone with a camera
- Filmic Pro App (additional student cost is approximately $14.99)
- Month-long subscription to Adobe Premiere Pro (additional student cost is approximately $31.49)
- Laptop or desktop computer with minimum specs for editing (see table below)
Suggested Resources:- Microphone for smartphone (optional) may cost an additional $60-$150
- External hard drive (optional) may cost an additional $30-$200
Weekly Breakdown/Focus- Week 1:
- The World of Social Media Micro Documentaries / Pre Producing An Original Micro Doc / Smartphone Cinematography
- Practicum: Shoot and Gather Materials for a Micro Doc
- Week 2:
- Editing and Optimizing for Social Media / Exploring Micro Docs Series and The Ways Micro Docs Have Been Used to Make Change
- Practicum: Edit An Original Micro Doc, Optimized for Social Media Distribution
- Week 3:
- The World of Social Media Micro Doc Series / Target Audiences / Designing and Pre Producing A Series of Two (2) Original Micro Docs
- Practicum: Shoot and Gather Materials for a Series of Two (2) Micro Docs
- Week 4:
- Editing and Optimizing Micro Doc Series for Social Media / • Practicum: Edit An Original Micro Series, Optimized for Social
- Media Distribution
4-Week Documentary Filmmaking Micro Docs Class DescriptionsDirecting
The core of the 4-Week Program, Directing introduces students to the fundamentals of directing social media Micro Docs. Students explore the idea and realities of the form, learn key film language and develop, pre- produce and workshop their own original Micro Docs. Social media distribution and simple producing will also be covered.
Directing is broken down into 5 subclasses: Directors Craft (8 sessions), Project Development (8 sessions), Case Studies (2), Final Screenings (2 sessions).
Cinematography (Smartphone)
This course introduces students to the principles of photography as applied to the moving image. The fundamental elements of cinematography can be applied to any camera. Those fundamentals include; exposure, lenses, focus, and movement. All will also be applied specifically to the smartphone camera.
In addition to covering cameras, this course will explore the fundamentals of documentary camera work, strategies specific to shooting with a smartphone and of shooting an interview on a computer screen.
Cinematography is broken down into the following subclasses: Image & Style (2 sessions), Hands-On Production Workshops (4 sessions), and Screen & Feedback (2 sessions).
Hands-On Editing
This area of study presents students with multiple aesthetic approaches to editing video. Students will learn to edit for story and how to apply theoretical editing concepts to nonfiction material. Additionally, students will learn to operate Adobe Premiere Pro editing software, which they will use to edit their own films. Classes can be supplemented with individual consultations at the computer.
Hands-On Editing is broken down into 4 subclasses: Theory of Editing (2 sessions), Working with Premiere Pro (5 sessions), Motion Control and Titling in Premiere Pro (2 session), and a hands-on finishing session (2 session).
Documentary Storytelling
This portion of the program focuses on the basic elements of film narrative including 3 act structure, character, conflict or obstacles, dramatic questions and stakes. Students will learn to use the concepts to identify stories happening in real life, to identify which “story beats” they need to capture and how to put them together to create powerful nonfiction stories. Students will practice applying key narrative principles to their own work. They will also be introduced to scripting for micro docs, and will learn to identify action ideas, and to create loglines and pitches.